Leaving it in the Room
by steelefanforever
Summary: After the events of Entity and Prodigy, Jack and Sam decide to go after what they want. Oneshot. Please R


Disclaimer- Of course I don't own them and I seriously doubt you would believe me if I said I did.

Leaving it in the Room

Part 1 (Just after Prodigy)

Major Samantha Carter let out a sigh. She had almost lost him again. It seemed like every time she turned around, he was getting injured or nearly killed. It was part of the job, she knew that, but the last two times had been different. The last two times it hadn't been someone she could shoot, or something she could blow up. First there had been the mishap with the X-301. If they had taken any longer to reach him, he would have suffocated. Then there was the most recent incident with the glowy bugs on N4C-862 . Once again he had risked his own life for the sake of his team and he almost died because of it. Sam didn't know how much more she could take.

How much longer could she hide her feelings for him? How long could she pretend that it didn't kill her inside to see him lying injured in the infirmary? How long must she continue to deny that she loved him, even to herself? And she did love him. He was her whole world. Not that she could admit that. He was her CO. The one man she couldn't have was the one man she wanted more than anything. She didn't think she could continue to hide it. And she wasn't sure she wanted to.

She thought back to the zatarc incident. She could still see his face as he walked down the corridor, ready and willing to die, hoping that with his death he could help her live. Then there were his words. "I would rather die myself than lose Carter… Because I care about her, a whole lot more than I'm supposed to." He loved her too. Sam knew it had been her idea to leave it in the room, but she didn't think she could do that any more. She needed him. She needed him to be more than just her CO. Her mind was made up. She would ask General Hammond for a transfer. It would be hard not being on SG1, but at least she would be able to have a relationship with Jack.

Part 2 (Just after Entity)

Colonel Jack O'Neill sank down to the floor and put his head in his hands. He couldn't do this anymore. He had dedicated his life to defending his country and his planet. He had put his happiness on hold because there was something more important at stake and he had almost lost the most important thing in his life.

He closed his eyes and tried to block out the image of her lifeless body falling to the floor after he shot her. Two shots with a zat. By all rights, Carter should be dead. If the entity hadn't downloaded her consciousness into the computer, than she would be gone. His mind played back over all times she had almost died. When she had been kidnapped and sold to Turgen; when she had been taken over by Jolinar; on Apophis' ship; there had been way too many close calls.

So far they had been lucky. Who knew how long that would last. One day their luck would run out and when it did she would be lost to him forever. His feelings had been forced to the surface so many times recently. First with Apophis' ship, then with the zatarc test, the memory stamp, the X-303 and now this. He had thought that he could control his feelings, but now he wasn't sure he wanted to anymore. He and Sam had sacrificed their lives for their planet at the cost of their own happiness. They had told themselves that after the war… but recent events had made him realize that they might not live to see after the war. It had been four years and they were no closer to ending this. The tok'ra had be fighting the goa'uld for over a thousand years. There was no guaranty that the war would end soon just because the tau'ri had joined the fight. He couldn't wait any longer. He rose from the floor and headed for his office.

Part 3

He had a problem. As a general in the U.S. Air Force and commander of the SGC, Earth's only line of defense, a day rarely went by when George Hammond didn't have a problem, but this was different. This problem didn't involve alien technology or the defense of the planet. However, it was no less important. The fate of his flagship team and two of his finest officers were at stake.

He looked at the two documents on his desk. A transfer request from Major Samantha Carter and a resignation signed by Colonel Jack O'Neill. He wasn't surprised. In fact, he had been expecting it for some time. He wasn't blind. He had seen the way they looked at each other. Sparks had been flying between them from the moment they met, and the flames had continued to grow stronger. It was about time they got together. They certainly deserved it after everything they had been through. The question now was, could he find a way to give them what they wanted without breaking up their team. Which was why he was sitting at his desk looking for a loophole in the Air Force regulations.

Suddenly he smiled and picked up the red phone on his desk.

General Hammond looked up as a knock sounded on his office door. It opened and Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter stepped inside.

"You wanted to see us, sir?"

Hammond indicated the chairs across from him. "Have a seat Colonel, Major."

They sat down, looking nervously at each other.

"You have probably both guessed what this is about." They nodded silently and he continued. "I am sorry but both your requests have been denied." He held up a hand to stop their protests. "Hang on and hear me out. The president and I talked and we agree that both of you are too valuable in your current positions. However, I think I may have come up with a solution that will satisfy everyone.

"I have been reading the Air Force regulations and I found something interesting. And I quote, _Unprofessional relationships are those interpersonal relationships that erode good order, discipline, respect for authority, unit cohesion and, ultimately, mission accomplishment._"

He stopped and looked at his officers. He could tell they hadn't gotten it yet as they looked at him slightly apprehensively.

"Normally a romantic relationship between officers on a team would go against regs, however, the SGC and SG-1 in particular, could hardly be called normal. The president recognizes this and so he sent me this." He handed the paper to O'Neill. Jack read it quickly, then read it again, before looking at the general with a stunned expression on his face.

"Is this for real?"

Major Carter was getting impatient. "Well, what does it say?"

General Hammond was having a difficult time keeping a rather un-general-like grin off his face. "It says inter-team relationships are allowed within the SGC as long as the base commander believes they don't detract from the participants ability do perform their duties. You two have already proven that your feelings for each other won't stop you from doing your job. As long as I don't see a change in your work, you are free to explore a personal relationship however you like."

The grin finally broke through as he saw comprehension dawn on their faces and smiles break out. "I think you two need to talk. Dismissed."

Jack and Sam rose and saluted. As they were leaving, Jack's voice drifted back to him.

"So, Carter, any plans tonight?"

the end

A/N- this is my first SG1 story and I crave feedback. Please tell me what you thought of it and how I can improve for next time. Thanks for reading it.


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